Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-06-09
The Mexican Earthquake.
Correspondents Of the Alexandra GAzErrEl

CITY OF MEXICo, May 80, Sat- about
three o'clock last night the usual silence OF
the ola capital was suddenly broken by
one of the strongest earthquakes that has
ever been in this part of the republic. 1t
lasted about half minute and covered an
area OF several hundred miles square. The
evening previous was cool, dark and rainy.
This, followed by dark, rainy night, added
10 iho gloomy and troubled scenes that SUR.
rounded US during this, the greatest and
most destructive force in nature. Fearful
as an earthquake is, it becomes moro fear
ful under the circumstances of Sun day
night,
The emotions of the moment as we were
awakened from, perhaps as sound sumber as
man is usually blessed with, were enough to
Gil any heart with terror. Our bed began
to heave and pitch like berth on board q
ship during rough sea. This was follow
ed bv a number of side movements in quick
succession. By this time all the household
were up aud running in all directions. Few
had Oh more than their night clothes. Men,
women and children rushed out in the street
and in tho centre of the plaZas. They were
crying, praying and some, nearly naked,
were screaming at the top OF their voices.
The horses ridden by the night guards stood
stone STILL with their feet braced in firm
position. Every. body reeled to and fro
as though they were badly intoxicated. The
dogs ran bowling and whining in all direc.
tions There was DO wind, yet the
tree swayed to and fro, and many were
shaken like boy would shake a sapling
wheu there is a squirrel at the top. In all
parts of the city the shrieks. cries and pray
ers of the terror-stricken population could
be beard, and the voices OF women could be
heard above all the rest. Added TO this, the
bells in .he great towers were set ringing by
the oscillation Of the towers and belfries.
This dscord OF many bells that we are ac-
customed TO hear ring out in pleasant
chimes, added greatly to The strange sounds
around US, aud helped TO increase the panic
Of the people.
10 the city OF Toluca q humber o! walls
were leve!ed to the ground Here at the
capitai some OF the arches Of The bridges
were parted in the middle, and the stone
fountains iD some cases rent apart, letting
out their supply Of water besides, the
walls OF the national library building and
also that ol the great cathedral have been
rent Ia places The latter has stood for
about three centuries against all previous
earthquakes, while the former present
great issures in solid walls shout four feet
ihick besides these many other buildings
were more or less injured yet so fur we
have heard OF no loss Of life.
One of the city papers says: The shock
was one Of the heaviest ever experienced in
lIexico, and the wonder is that there was
not ..ightful loss of life and property
notwithstanding the substantial architecture
Of the city, which was especially designed to
withstand earthquakes. According to the
| report of the National Meteorological OBJ
servatory at the National Palace the shock
| lasted about 80 seconds, and the movement
was osciating in two directions, preceded
by a quick upheavel then depression !;
then the oscilating side movement, which
lasted nearly half u minute"
In my room the scene was rather alarm
inc. As soon as the bed began to roll was
up and on the floor There was commo-
ton in all parts of the house. The great
doors were slamming to and fro; all was
dark as night could well be. | could hard
" keep on my feet CIothes matches or
candle could not be found, and every chair
seemed TO be in the wrong place. The hall
door could noi be located, neither by me
nor my room mate, and had we passed it
the great door leading 10 the street door
was locked and barred so escape was next
to impossible except to jump from the sec
oad story on the stone street below. Thus
were we imprisoned in deep darkness be-
tween four swaying walls nearly two feet
and q half thick. The heavy timbers over.
head. covered with layer of earth and
stone about foot thick, were cracking:
rubbing and crushing together with grind
ing sound, as though they were about to
fall in and make dead fall for all below.
| stood under the great arched window on
X waiting FOR the wall to fall into the street
and the ceiling to come crashing down in
The darkness below. The seconds seemed
hours of suspense between life and death in
which the latter seemed inevitable. This
added to the cries, shrieks and prayers out
in the darkness, made period of distress
and forlorn hope, which words can scarce
describe and which nothing but this,
the most tremendous force in nature,
has power to produce Owing to the
deep darkness and doubt that COW
cred all, ones imagination of coming
danger seems to enlarge thousand fold,
and so il was with US; every grinding strain
of the ioists seemed fearful crash of falling
timber beneath which we crouched as it fell.
Every lurch Of the wall seemed to carry us
fifty feet towards the stones below, and
every upheayal seemed 10 open chasm in
which all might sink in and out OF sight for
ever, and every WALL building and former
place of security seemed nov to desert Us,
and in place of harbor of safety they now
become treacherous dead falls which all
wish to avoid on pain Of instant death. We
onged for the open field, but even there the
earth, the elements and the fearful forces